Fire-escape.



W. H. BELL.

FIRE'ESCAPE. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 24, 1913.

Patented Aug. 10, 1915.

5 SHEETS-SHEET I.

Milne 656 s W. H. BELL.

FIRE ESCAPE. APPLICATION FILED Nov-251913.

Patented Aug. 10, 1915.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Rveazior.

wiinees. W

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH CD..WA. HINOTON, D. c

W. H. BELL.

FIRE ESCAPE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV- 24. ms.

Patented Aug. 10, 1915.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 3 Inventor. mmwx m witnesses.

COLUMBIA PuINoaRAFH 120.. WASHINGTON D c W. H. BELL.

FIRE ESCAPE- APPLICATION FILED Nov. 24, 1913.

1, 1 49, 6 1 6. I Patented Aug. 10, 1915.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 4- wiii'iese S. I 2; Intentor.

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COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH 60.. WASHINGTON, D. c.

W. H. BELL.

FIRE ESCAPE.

APPLICATION FILED Nov. 24, 1913.

1 1 49,6 1 6 Patented Aug. 10, 1915.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 5- wit-2265585. Even-tor.

MM# wag s are FIRE-ESCAPE To all whom it may c0noem Be it known thatI, WILLIAM H. BELL, a

citizen of the United States, residing in Jacksonville, county ofDuval, and State of Florida, have invented an Improvement in Fire-Escapes, of which the following description, in connection with. the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like characters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to a portable apparatus especially. designed and adapted among other uses to, be employed as a fire escape by travelers, occupants of oflices and like persons. To this end the apparatus is provided in the present instance with a carrier for theoperator and for the operating mechanism, and said carrier is provided with a'drum or reel upon which a cord, rope or other flexible connection is secured to be 'wound thereon, and which is capable of being unwound therefrom by the weight of the operator.

Provision is made for controlling the descent of the carrier, as will be described.

These and other features of this invention will be pointed out in the claims at the end of this specification. I

Figure 1 is a side elevation of an apparatus embodying this invention, showing the same in operative relation to a building.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation on "an enlarged scale of the apparatus shown in' Fig. 1. Fig. 3, a detail in section taken on the line 33, Fig. 2. Fig. 4, a side elevation of the apparatus, looking toward the left in Fig.

5. Fig. 5, a front elevation of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1 with parts broken away to show the interior mechanism, and Fig. 6, a vertical central section on the line 6 6, Fig. 5. I I

In the embodiment of the invention herein shown, a represents a rope, chain or other flexible connection which in its normal condition is wound upon a drum or' reel 6, fast on ashaft c, which isjournaled in a support, herein shown as a casing or housing cl preferably of metal. The casing of housingd constitutes a carrier for the operator, and in the present instance, it has secured to its opposite sides a straple, which'forms a 2 seat for the operator. The carrier d herein shown is provided with an opening 10 in its I top'12, through which the free end of the rope a is led and is secured to a suitable device for anchoring the free end of the rope.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Au 16, 1915.

Application filed November 24, 1913 Serial No. 802,587.

In the present instance the anchoring device is shown as a hook 14, but insteadthereof any other suitable device may be used.

The carrier (Z may and preferably will contain a plurality of rollers over and under which the rope a; is led on its passage out of the carrier, and in the present instance siX rollers are shown and marked 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20. v

The roller 16 is preferably geared to the drum shaft 0 so as to revolve in unison therewith,'and'for this purpose the shaft 21 0f the roller 16 is provided with a pinion 22, see Fig. 2, which meshes with a gear 23 on the shaft 0 of the drum 6. Provisionis made for locking the drum 6 against rotation, and in the present instance, one arrangement is shown for this purpose. To this end the drum shaft 0 has fast on it a member25, herein shown as triangular in shape, with which cooperates a movable lever 26, which is pivotally mounted on the shaft 21. of theroller 16 and is provided with a notch or recess 27, corresponding in shape to the angular portions of the member 25, so as to engage the same and prevent the member 25 from turning, and thereby prevent the drum' 7) from turning. The lever 26 is made ofsufficient length to have its free end readily accessible to the operator when the latter ison the seat 6. i

By elevating the lever 26, it is disengaged from the member 25 and the drum is unlocked. Provision is made for holding the lever 26 in its elevated position, and to this end, a bar 30 having one end loosely mounted on the. drum shaft 0 and its other end loose on a stud orpin 31 extended from the carrier 03, is acted upon by a spring 32, see Fig. 3, which presses the bar 30 toward the carrier, and so that anub or projection 33 on the bar is projected into the path of movement of the lever26. When the lever 26 has been moved upwardly sufiiciently far to pass by the nub 33, the spring 32 forces To this end, the shaft 21 of the roller 16 has fast on it a brake wheel 35, see Fig. 4, with which cooperates a brake band 36, having one end fastened .to a .pin 37, supported by a bracket 88, attached to the carrier 01, and its other end connected to one end of a lever 39, pivotally supported by the carrier and the bracket 38. The lever 39 is joined by a link 40 to one end of an operating lever 41, which is accessible to the operator. By turning the lever 41 down in the direction indicated by the arrow 42 in Fig. 4, the lever 89 is turned so as to cause the brake band 86 to engage the brake wheel 35 with more or less force, and thereby regulate the speed of rotation of the roller 16 and of the drum 1), and thereby regulate the descent of the carrier.

The brake for the drum 6 alone may be depended upon to control the speed of the carrier, but it'is preferred to provide a brake or clutch for engaging the rope a, and in the present instance, the carrier has pivoted to it a lever 44, see Fig. 6, which is provided at its inner end with a nose piece 45, which is designed to engage the rope a and force the latter into engagement with a stationary bar or abutment 46, secured to or forming part of the carrier (Z. The corner of the abutment bar 46 is preferably rounded to avoid injury to the rope. The rope a is released by turning the lever 44 from its full line position shown in Fig. 6 up into its dotted line position. The drum shaft 0 may be connected ,at its opposite ends with the shaft of the roller 16 by links 47., 48, and the drum shaft 0 may be provided with a crank or handle 49, by which it may be turned to wind up the rope. In operation with the apparatus herein shown, the traveler or other person in case of fire, secures the free end of the rope a to a stationary object, and in Fig. 1, the hook 14 is represented as engaged with the sill 50 of a window or other opening ina building, which is represented by the line 51. The looking or stop lever 26 is engaged with the locking member 25 on the drum shaft, and the clutch lever 44 is engaged with the rope a.

The operator gets in the strap seat 6, and passes out of the window or opening, and hangs suspended with his feet against the outer wall of the building, and when ready to descend, he raises the stop lever 26 until the latter passes the nub 33, which latter automatically keeps the stop lever in its elevated position and leaves both hands of the operator free. Before raising the stop lever, the operator with his right hand pulls down the brake lever 41 and applies the brake 36, which serves to hold or retard the movement of the carrier downward, so as to permit him to raise the stop lever with impunity.

' The rope clutch 44 is now turned into its .vertical positionand by manipulating the brake lever 41, the roller 16 and drum Z) are released and permitted to turn, so as to unwind the rope from the drum and thus allow the carrier with the operator thereon to descend. The speed at which the carrier descends may be controlled by moving the lever 41 so as to apply the brake band more or less to the brake wheel. The operator may assist'the brake in controlling the descent of the carrier by manipulating the rope clutch lever 44, so as to place more or less friction on the rope, but ordinarily the brake alone will be sufficient to control the descent of the carrier. The carrier may be arrested in its descent at the will of .the operator, by merely lowering the stop lever 26 until it engages the locking member 25. The carrier cl may and preferably will be made as a substantially closed metal casing of iron or steel of suflicient strength to sustain the weight of a person, as for instance 200 lbs, but it may be made lighter or heavier as desired.- So also the rope, which may be a Manila or wire rope, a chain or other fiexible device capable of being wound upon the drum or reel, will be made of suflicient strength to sustain any weight within limits which may be placed upon it. I have herein shown, one construction of apparatus embodying this invention, but it is not desired to limit the invention to the particular construction shown. By the term rope as used in the claims, I desire to be understood as including a chain or other flexible connection.

The apparatus may be made light enough to permit it to be carried about .by commercial travelers and the like, or ,it may be made a permanent fixture of the hotel or other buildings. The carrier d may be provided with a movable wall 60.

Claims: I p 1. In an apparatus of the character described, in combination, a carrier, a drum mounted to rotate on said carrier, a rope normally wound upon said drum, rollers carried by said carrier and about which said rope is passed, gearing connecting one of said rollers with said drum, a holding member revoluble with said drum, a stop lever cooperating with said holding member to stop rotation of said drum, abrake wheel fast :to the roller which is geared to the said drum, a brake band cooperating with said brake wheel, 'a lever to operate said brake band, and a clutch lever to engage said rope, substantially as described.

2. In an apparatus of the character described, in combination, a carrier, a drum mounted .to rotate'on said carrier, a rope normally wound upon said drum, rollers carried by said carrier and about which said rope is passed, gearing connecting one of said rollers with said drum,a holding member revoluble with said drum, a stop lever cooperating with said holding member to name to this specification in the presence of itop rotgtionnof sziid drum, a grakehwheel tWo subscribing Witnesses.

ast to t e r0 er W ich is eare to t e said drum, a brake band coopgrating with said WILLIAM BELL 5 brake wheel, and a lever to operate said Witnesses:

brake band, substantially as described. A. H. MILLER,

In testimony whereof, I have signed my GE A. JEFFERIES.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

